Antipolo

Antipolo is a city that sits high in the hills just east of Manila, and from up here the entire sprawling capital spreads out below you like something from a dream. The air feels fresher, the pace feels calmer, and the city has a warm, welcoming spirit that has been drawing visitors for centuries. At its heart is a hilltop church so beloved that millions of Filipinos make the journey each year to visit and pray, a tradition stretching back hundreds of years.

But Antipolo is much more than a place of pilgrimage. It is a city where art, nature, and community come together beautifully. You can wander through a stunning hillside museum that feels like a secret Mediterranean village, cool off near a waterfall locals have picnicked beside for generations, or gaze across the glittering Manila skyline from a soaring viewing deck.

And whatever you do, make sure you leave room for snacks. Antipolo’s cashews and sticky rice treats are so good that locals will tell you the visit simply is not finished without them.